Akeanons/Aklanons as the locals are called are highly literate. Akeanon/Aklanon is the dialect spoken. Hiligaynon/Ilonggo, Tagalog, and English are spoken as secondary dialects. Kinaray-a is also spoken and understood.

Like the most Filipino capitals, Kalibo is home to many street children, who may ask you for money (especially if you look western) with their palms out. Any money you give them may be taken by their parents or spent on drugs or cigarettes. If you really want to help them, buy them a nutritious meal or, better yet, a toothbrush and toothpaste (some corner stores ["sari-saris"] sell them). You can also donate to an aid organization. "Wala akong pera." is Tagalog for "I have no money."

Kalibo Airport in Aklan now allows night landing in a new airport terminal to accommodate arriving passengers in the province brought by international chartered flights from Incheon, South Korea and Shanghai, China.

Vans or L3s as they are called cost about 500 pesos per person from Caticlan to Kalibo and they take approximately 2-3 hours. Look for an air conditioned van. The large Cerrus bus is another option it is cheaper and more comfortable but takes slightly longer to arrive.

Motorized tricycles will take you just about anywhere in Kalibo for a standard rate of 6.50 Pesos (6 Pesos 50 Centavos). Foreigners are commonly asked for much higher rates but the drivers must accept the 6.5 peso rate by law.

Kalibo (Bakhawan) Mangrove Forest[2] - This 220-hectare forest is one of the most successful mangrove reforestation projects in Southeast Asia and only a 10-minute drive from Kalibo Airport. Recent improvements made to the park include a 1.1 km nature trail, an outdoor dining area (that serves local dishes), and river activities such as kayaking and bamboo rafting.

Piña-weaving Aklan is famous for the woven pineapple silk (piña) that is the darling of Philippine fabrics and the choice of the elites and the landed. This silk was the fabric used in making the barong that was worn by the leaders of the APEC countries during it's conference in the Philippines in 1996.

Museo it Akean, the town's museum is a repository of the province's rich cultural heritage.

During the Ati-atihan festival, don't forget to visit the Kalibo Cathedral and witness the Catholic faithful get a brief respite with the "paeapak" or the massaging of a small Sto. Niño (Christ Child)
statuette onto the devotees.

Foreigners who decide to stay on in Kalibo are usually retirees who are married to locals. Some maintain businesses in Boracay and Kalibo. Work is generally scarce for foreigners, however, those that are entrepreneurial could engage in maintaining small businesses in Boracay and properties in Kalibo.

Alcohol is cheap like everywhere in the Philippines. During Atiatihan festival, alcohol is very much readily available at supermarkets, convenience stores, corner stores, and literally alongside the road. The coldest beer in Kalibo--sometimes literally frozen--is at Lakapaya, a small restaurant/carinderia two blocks from the city plaza (pilsen for P25). Their P25 arroz caldo (rice soup) is excellent drunk food. For some local brew, tuba, (fermented coconut wine) is popular amongst the locals (usually in far-flung barangays) and might be worth the taste if you are offered one.

Fruit juices are widely available and made fresh owing to the abundance and proximity of fruit-producing provinces including Aklan.

Kalibo has several coffee shops. The cheapest is the Big Bean, located near the rotunda (which lights up like a Christmas tree at night) and next door to Chow King. Its best deals (as of Jan. '11) are the P35 espresso and the P55 espresso/Americano & pancake with egg or bacon. Between the rotunda and the airport is Latte, a swanky, western-friendly coffeehouse and restaurant (espresso for about P65). Be warned that, like most upscale restaurants in Kalibo, the service will be extremely polite but sometimes incompetent and often slow. There's also a smaller Latte in downtown Kalibo with sandwiches and espresso. The comparably-priced Third Cup is located in the city plaza, nearby. One place definitely worth checking out is Euro-Asia Bakery, located down the street from the plaza past the gay-friendly nightclub Mezzanine. It has a variety of breads without sugar added, plus brewed coffee for P40 (plus P10 for milk). They serve a decent but unspectacular American-style breakfast with tea, eggs, ham, and toast for P120.

Due to the boomtown character of Kalibo- there is a shortage of places to stay in. Department of Tourism has devised a Homestay Program for tourists where visitors are welcomed into local homes for a fee. Please ask the Philippine Department of Tourism office in your area when planning such.

Airport Line Inn, Quezon avenue (300-400 m before right turn to the airport). For overnight stays near the airport. Convenient if your flight departs in the morning. Just 10 minutes walk from the airport - however, tricycle drivers in the airport do not hesitate to ask as much as 100 peso for a 2 minutes ride. Bargain hard or just ignore them and walk (till the main road, then approximately same distance along it to the left).Fan room from Php 300 / 12 hours. edit

La Esperanza Hotel, Osmeña Ave, +63 36 262-3989, [email protected] A large 5 storey hotel with no elevator but an attractive lobby and breakfast room slap in the middle of town. Air-con rooms have cable TV and shower rooms where the switch between faucet and shower needs careful nursing. ₱1200, VISA and MasterCard

Kalibo is relatively safe - although cases of pickpockets and an occasional brawl arises especially during the Ati-atihan festival rush where people from other provinces flood the town. Kalibonhons are naturally peaceful and religious folks.